How to Prune Crape Myrtles

Tips for pruning Crape Myrtles.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• prune
• pruning
• crape
• myrtles
• garden
• lawn
• how
• to

[momtoangel22]

OMG - HE MURDERED THIS TREE :( POOR TREE :(

Do NOT follow this video - there are many sites on "how to prune a crape myrtle" - look them up - THIS VIDEO is a perfect example of HOW NOT TO PRUNE A CRAPE MYRTLE!!!!! ***WARNING***** DO NOT FOLLOW THIS VIDEO!

[PhilLesh69]

This is NOT how to prune a crepe myrtle!!

First rule: Try not to prune your crepe myrtles.

When the time comes, after maybe 3 to 5 years of uncut growth, only cut new branches along the base up to about 4 feet, and only upper branches that are growing inward. ONLY cut branches where two branches join, not halfway up a branch.

If you prune like this, or prune more often than every 3 or 4 years, you're gonna get stubbly gnarly stumps with a bushy mass of whispy thin branches on top.

[gugullsux]

I've seen crepe myrtles trimmed as this guy does it and they still look healthy and have a denser bloom display. I'm not saying a minimalist touch is a bad thing, and a crepe myrtle that grow to full expression is nice, but I find the stridency of the light touch pruners grating. Get a life.

[ipahophead]

Trimming this "aggressively" is often way too much. Check out alternative opinions that many would say are the "correct" way to trim such a pretty tree. No video but excellent info: ctchorticulture.blogspot dot com/2010/01/pruning-crape-myrt­les.html Video showing much better approach: CN02Qpt5agM Another great video: xzzNaId-XjE Don't ruin your trees; please learn the "correct" way.

[MNTBB02]

Im a horticulture student and this is not how we were tought. You won't see this done at any botanical garden thats for sure. This is what landscapers do to charge more and give the workers something to do. Some will say this is how you get bigger blooms and that's not a lie but the crapemyrtle blooms sooner, blooms last longer and blooms prolifically if left alone. The biggest problem i've seen is poor planting locations. Make sure to give plants enough room to grow.

[hiltykc]

Disgusting massacre of a crepe myrtle tree!!! Not how you should prune!!

[MNTBB02]

Just choose 3 well spaced branches and cut the rest to the ground. You will have to do this for many years before you'll have a nice tree form. The more that these plants are topped the more the "suckers" grow

[thangamajig]

How a bout one that has fifty upshoots from the ground.. I want the to look more like trees. My parent have been triming them and they are like bushes.. Is it time to pull it up and replant???

[PhilLesh69]

@bowler8 That is NOT the correct way to prune a crepe myrtle. There are smaller varieties if you want shorter crepe myrtles.

This method of pruning creates thin, whispy branches that will not support the blooms during a heavy rain. You risk a lot of broken branches when the first heavy spring rain comes along.

Remember how much your crepe myrtle sagged under the weight of rain when it was freshly planted?

[PhilLesh69]

@johncarync If you can figure out how to comment on youtube, you probably can figure out how to enter a search term into google. Nobody has a cache of super secret links to information.

The proper way to prune a crepe myrtle is, side branches growing from the main trunks up to at least 4 feet, higher branches growing in towards the center, crossing, rubbing, and dead branches. ONLY cut where two branches meet.

You really do not want to lop off the entire tree at an arbitrary height.

[alinhilde]

You killed that beautiful tree!!!! :(